Monday, October 31, 2011

Rock River Arms RRA Mid-Length AR15 A4 Review with Stainless .223 Wylde BarrelOddly enough Rock River Arms (RRA), one of the most venerable names in AR15 business, was not started as an black rifle company but as a 1911 pistol company initially launched in 1996 as Tolerance Plus. In 1998 they changed the name to Rock River Arms due to their mid-western proximity to the Rock River. As time went on, diversification to AR15 rifles became a small then quickly the majority share of the Rock River Arms volume. Today Rock River Arms has become one of the most respected AR15 brand names due to long-term contracts with the US Government, a multitude of law enforcement agencies, and consistent high quality. Rock River Arms buyers end up with a known brand name Military spec weapon which has historically provided a higher than average resell value.Rock River Arms’ focus is to provide buyers custom production build-to-order rifles the way they want versus ending up with a drawer full of parts after upgrading an “as-is” manufacturer configured rifle. Rock River Arms has never been the least expensive, however they strive to offer the best value without sacrificing high quality on a custom configured AR15.

ABOUT THE ROCK RIVER ARMS MID-LENGTH AR15As noted before in other articles I am a fan of mid-length systems and when I ordered this Rock River A4 AR15, I again selected a Mid-Length rifle configuration. The carbine length gas system was really designed for military 14” barrels, a mid-length system is optimum for 16” barrels and provides more controllable and lighter recoil, runs a bit cooler and even a bit cleaner and offers more forend real-estate to use up front. Rock River Arms do come very nicely equipped, however I did opt for a stainless 1:8 twist barrel chambered in .223 Wylde to increase overall accuracy which brought the base $940 gun up $65 to $1005.

.FINISH, FIT, FEEL, FEATURES, FUNCTIONING & ACCURACYFINISH & FIT ROCK ROCK ARMS MID-LENGTH AR15Quality over price has always been the primary goal of Rock River Arms. I will be the first to say that goal is not always shared by the flood of AR manufacturers these days... unfortunately it seems price is the leading design factor for most manufacturers. Unless a AR manufacturer is extremely picky, most AR builder/manufacturers are all using the same components from the same small core of component manufacturers. Assuming all these parts are in the same spec range, the quality of the build becomes more about fit, finish, and assembly expertise to deliver a reliable and durable rifle. Part of this quality process is to assure dimensional and fatigue testing procedures are in place for parts coming in the door, such as we see on MPI (Metal Particle Inspection) and HPT (High Pressure Tested) testing in an effort to assure parts will not fail is performed only by a few manufacturers. Many disagree on the testing procedures themselves. Some AR manufacturers such as Rock River Arms feel MPI and HPT testing which inspects & fatigues parts, should be done but only on random samples which are tested but never used in customer rifles. Rock River Arms perspective is that these fatigue and inspection testing procedures can actually negatively affect the durability of the part subjected to testing and instead pulls random samples but still dimensionally “go/no-go” checks each part assembled into their rifles.

This attention to detail on each part going into the rifle results in Rock River Arms renowned tight fit and one of the tightest no-slop upper to lower receiver fits in the industry. The tight tolerances do not stop there and expand to every part on the Rock River Arms for a very solid build that will be tight for some time. The parts are all finished uniformly and with the stainless barrel upgrade My RRA A4 is mighty sharp looking standard AR15.FEELAs mentioned earlier the Rock River Arm Mid-Length AR15 is a very solid build. The heavy contour stainless barrel does add some extra weight up front, however for off hand shooting at distant targets the weight is appreciated. FEATURES - BOLT & CARRIERRock River realized that nearly every rifle leaving the factory was ordered with a chrome bolt and carrier and decided to just offer that as a standard no-charge upgrade. From my understanding you can still order a standard phosphated bolt and carrier if you want, but I went for the Rock River Arms chrome Bolt Carrier Group.

FEATURES - TRIGGERThe Rock River Arms 2-stage Trigger is notably the best production trigger on the market and they include it for no charge on most models including the RRA Mid-Length A4 AR15 I am reviewing here. This trigger has a direct impact on Rock River’s famous accuracy. The break is as crisp as many of the entry target triggers on the market and rids the AR of that horrible stock gritty trigger feel. The two stage trigger provides you with a noticeable smooth take up and then a hard stop which allows you to set up before pressing the trigger through the crisp break. I will agree with all the previous statements regarding the trigger, the best production trigger in the business period.FEATURES - BARREL & M4 BARREL EXTENSION“Sorry dear my thumb slipped and I accidentally ordered the upgraded stainless barrel” So the story goes, but it was a great intentional “mistake” which delivers outstanding accuracy on a standard non-free floated hand guard rifle. It was only a $65 upgrade to the stainless 1:8 twist barrel with the .223 Wylde chamber. The 1:8 twist is a compromise rifle twist between the 1:7 military and 1:9 civilian standards. The slower 1:9 twist prefers lighter bullets, the 1:7 heavier, the 1:8 generally really shoots all very well and is the twist found in most precision target rifles.

The .223 Wylde was developed by Bill Wylde as a precision target chamber compromise which would shoot both 5.56 Nato and .223 Remington rounds safely but more accuracy Without going all ammo nerd, the 5.56 is a hair larger than the .223. Shoot a .223 in a 5.56 chamber and that ever so slight tolerance makes accuracy suffer. The .223 Wylde allows both rounds to be shot (handy survival utility) and generally increases the accuracy of both in the process do to tighter tolerances. The 1:8 twist and the .223 Wylde chamber is a best of all worlds accuracy compromise with a wide variety of ammo.Rock River Arms uses an M4 Barrel Extension with M4 style feed ramps to increase reliability. Although standard on RRA models, M4 feed ramps are an upgrade over the standard old feed ramps and provide for more reliable movement of rounds from the magazine into the chamber.

FEATURES - STOCK, SIGHTS, GRIPS, CASE, MAGAZINE, & EXTRASThe RRA Mid-Length A4 comes in a variety of standard configurations to be customized from but all receivers include a logo'ed upper with T-markings on the 1913 Spec picatinny rails. I ordered mine with the adjustable RRA 6-position stock, standard GI grip, heat shielded forend, and standard fixed F-Marked front sight. The standard rifle comes complete with a very heavy duty hard plastic case with steel clasp locks and foam padded interior, one standard aluminum GI magazine, a US Army M16 Maintenance Manual, and safety range plug. Typically most ARs will include a standard plastic rifle case which is usually too long and the result is most of use end up buying another more compact case. Rock River Arms’ cases are not Pelican quality however they are a big step beyond the in-expensive cases provided by most manufacturers but they are very good quality, are AR15 sized, and will prevent you from buying a more compact case for trips to the range. Everyone seems to be using the polymer magazines these days, however this RRA proved the GI metal magazines still work just fine.

FUNCTIONINGNo problems what-so-ever without cleaning between any of the 30 magazines of mixed ammo run through during two afternoon’s of testing. About the 940 round count mark I did have a bad steel case round which had a good hard solid primer hit but did not ignite, however I am attributing that to the cheap ammo. Clearing that round and continuing on, without cleaning I passed the 1000 round count through the Rock River Arms A4 AR15 Mid-Length Rifle without any other issues. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to report back at some point regarding how many rounds it took before a non-ammo related failure occurred.

ACCURACY TESTINGRock River Arms accuracy guarantee (along with any other manufacturer offering said guarantee) has taken heat from a number of folks. In fact I have had a number of discussions with various manufacturers who could guarantee their accuracy, but just don’t want the hassle. The problem typically is not question of ability of the rifle, but rather the ability of the shooter. Most folks simply do not have the skill to produce consistent 2” groups at 100 yards with a $5000 precision tack driving rifle, let alone 1” groups with a production $1000 rifle. The point people miss is that off a fixed rest and higher power scope and a great shooter they will do those figures but typically better, but not with a iron sights or low power scope from a shaky rest and in front of an inexperienced shooter. For my testing of the Rock River Arms Mid-Length A4 AR15 rifle, I dropped the rifle on the bench and sandbagged it in to provide as stable a rest as possible and for optimal precision topped it off with a Simmons Predator Quest 6-24x50 scope (which is a great scope by the way). Here were the average 5-shot group results: 100 YARD AVG OF THREE 5-SHOT GROUPS HORNADY TAP URBAN 55GR = .95” WOLF FMJ 62GR = 1.5” WINCHESTER FMJ 55GR = 1.3” WINCHESTER PDX1 60GR = .8” FEDERAL MATCH 69GR = .76” HANDLOADS HORNADY AMAX 75GR = 1.1”From an accuracy perspective I was pleased and I was pleased and was blessed with a good day for group shooting. In better hands, this AR would shoot a bit better and with a free float forend it would improve accuracy a little as well. My intent for this gun would be targets inside 100 yards, so I was more than pleased with the results.

FINAL THOUGHTSThis Rock River Arms A4 Mid-Length AR15 is one of the higher quality standard rifles I have tested but not the cheapest. This rifle was very tight and I could barely pop out the pin for dis-assembly by hand which is a good thing. I am a believer in tighter initial fit because as the rifle breaks in over 1000s of rounds, it will inherently loosen up a bit. The Rock River Arms AR have a long history of high quality production, above average accuracy with a fair price. Another selling point is that unlike many black rifles that have taken a huge price hit in the used market, historically Rock River Arms reputation for quality has maintained a higher resell value than its competition.

I will note, do not purchase directly from Rock River Arms website... you will end up paying about $200 more than you will via a Rock River dealer. I was shocked to find out two of my local dealers could have delivered this gun to me for $200 less than the $1100 retail price on Rock River's site. As with most purchases in life fully upgraded up front is almost always less expensive than dribbling out upgrades and ended up with a drawer full of spare parts. Where many manufactures are offering take-it-or-leave-it configurations, Rock River Arms offers a near limitless set of custom options to set up your rifle your way from day one. The up front investment is worth it and in the long run less expensive.Included upgrades such as chromed bolt and carrier, Rock River’s 2-stage trigger, and premium quality mil-spec parts throughout set the Rock River AR apart from others and when at the range those differences deliver excellent AR patrol rifle accuracy and flawless functioning. Highly recommended.SPECIFICATIONSLAR-15 Mid-Length A4 with Tactical CAR Stock

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ruger 77/357, 77/44, and 77/22 Sight OptionsWithout question my review of the Ruger 77/357 has been one of the most popular articles I have written with thousands of reads to date. It is a outstandingly versatile rifle due to it’s weight size and of course .357 Magnum/.387 Special chambering. In the initial review video I briefly mentioned a bolt on NECG (New England Custom Gun) sight which spurred numerous questions about what aftermarket sighting options were out there for the Ruger 77/357. In this article I will touch on several great sight options that will improve the versatility and accuracy of your 77/357, 77/44 or 77/22 rifle.SCOPESAdding a scope is an obvious choice for the Ruger 77/357 or other similar series rifles. The 77/357 even includes a set of 1” rings with the rifle which makes adding a 1” tubed scope very simple and easy. Larger 30mm scope tubes will require different scope rings. The choice then becomes that of magnification and brand and there are certainly a multitude of options now on the market. The 77/357 is definitely an under 150 yard rifle and most likely most shots will occur in the 50-75 yard range where open sight would be more than adequate, however a low power scope can definitely increase precision at those ranges for small game. The new 1-4X variable power scopes are about perfect for this application and provide non-magnified power up to a 4x power which will assure good hits on large game well out to 150 yards. I have used the Trijicon 1-4X scope a number of times with other reviews and it is a very nice scope, but a little up there in price for a $500 rifle. Burris, Trijicon, and Nikon all have great scopes in this 1-4X range however I stumbled across the very affordable $75 street priced Bushnell Banner 1-4 X32 scope which has proved both durable and reliable throughout testing. This 1” scope mounts up perfectly to the supplied Ruger 77/357 rings and provides all the magnification required for both fast moving shots and higher precision shots at closer smaller game or larger targets at longer distance. The Circle-X reticle on the Bushnell Banner is unique and provides fast targeting via the circle and precision with the fine center cross-hairs inside the inner circle.

BUSHNELL BANNER 1-4X32 SCOPE SPECS

Power / Obj Lens

1-4 x 32mm

Finish

Matte

Length (in / mm)

10.5 / 267

Reticle

Circle-X®

Field of View (ft@100 ft. / m@100 m)

78.5/26.1@1x 24.9/8.3@4x

Adj Range in@100yds/ m@100m

50 / 1.4

Weight (oz. / g)

12.2 / 345

Exit Pupil (mm)

16.9@1x / 8@4x

Eye Relief (in / mm)

4.3 / 108

Mounting Length (in / mm)

5.3 / 133

Model

711432

Click Value in@100 yds / mm@100m

.25 /7

NECG REAR RUGER PEEP SIGHTPeep sights are without question faster on target and more accurate than standard leaf or buckhorn sights and there is a reason almost every military and competition target shooter in the world use them. The NECG (New England Custom Guns) Rear Ruger peep sight is mounted to the Ruger proprietary scope mount and can be used both as a rugged fully adjustable permanent rear sight or a back up sight should your scope become damaged on a hunt or deemed too powerful or inconvenient for a tight brush hunt. I mentioned in the initial review video that the NECG sight could turn your 77/357 into a scout rifle of sorts but with fully adjustable windage and elevation. The NECG is a top notch peep sight that is designed for extreme durability, adjustability, and precision. Although the NECG sight comes with a standard all purpose peep aperture, NECG have a variety of other aperture sizes should you require a larger or smaller peep aperture.

Both windage and elevation can be locked into position on this beefy all steel sight. This is a key point that I really like about the NECG sight as both a return-to-zero bolt-on back up sight and as a permanent sight. The elevation is adjusted via a standard small flat-head screw and once zero’ed is locked in placed by tightening the aperture down. The windage is adjusted via the right and left knurled mount nuts. Once zero’ed the right nut has a lock screw that is tightened effectively locking in the windage regardless of how many times the sight is mounted and removed which is handy if you want to stow this as a back up sight in your pocket. Going forward the left knurled nut handles mounting and un-mounting duties to secure the sight to either the most forward or middle mount on the Ruger. The sight cannot be mounted on the rear-most scope mount as it will not allow the bolt to cycle.

The downside of this very high quality $85 sight is that is does sit quite a bit higher than the folding rear sight and requires a taller front sight for proper zero otherwise you will be shooting way high.

Installation of any ⅜” dovetail front or rear sight is the same. I have a standard ¼” punch that is tipped with an empty brass 22LR shell and protects anything being hit. The stock rear sight was easily drifted out with a hammer and punch and the Skinner sight was drifted in and centered. With windage drift adjustable sights, the zero’ing practice generally involves going to the range and setting windage via gentle taps left or right with the punch however I was lucky and my bore sight alignment was right on.

Specifically for my .357 20 yard zero required a .570 tall front sight vs the .425 stock height for proper zero. For this experiment I replaced the front sight with a $17.99 Williams #60238 .570” high X .340 width Fire Sight. This is idea for a peep sight configuration on only requires you to center the glowing fiber optic red dot in the center of the rear peep on the target. This is a very fast setup and provides excellent low light visibility of the front sight.

The only downside I could find of this NECG and taller front sight option was that if you use a scope at all it fails to provide a dedicated permanent iron sight solution that never leaves the rifle. If you are dedicating the rifle to iron sights or can remember to always carry the NECG sight along when your scope is mounted this is a great solution and sighting improvement.

SKINNER SIGHT & 3/8” DOVETAIL SIGHTSAnother sight option for the Ruger 77/357 that I stumbled on as I was swapping sights on my Henry Big Boy from one set of Skinner sights to a newer snazzier version. The re-application of this steel Skinner Peep sight onto my Ruger 77/357 worked perfect. The Ruger 77/357, 77/44, and 77/22 series all have standard front and rear ⅜” dovetail sights which means any standard ⅜” dovetail front or rear sight can be drifted in easily from right to left via a punch and hammer such as those new fiber optic sights from TruGlo and Williams. The elevation is adjustable via ½ turns of the the steel peep sight which for me allowed my to zero it perfectly at 20 yards for relatively flat shooting to 75 yards and a 4” drop at 100 and 12” drop at 150 yards. Once zero’ed the peep sight can be locked in place with a set screw.

Skinner includes one standard peep sight but makes a variety of small to large apertures that can be screwed into either side of the peep sight. Personally, I found the sight perfectly accurate and very fast shooting with no aperture installed, but I could see the more precision minded wanting to squeeze out extra accuracy with a smaller aperture installed. The advantage to the Skinner sight replacement of the rear folding leaf sight is that there is no need to replace the front sight with a different size although for a little more adjustment I would go with one size taller front sight and most likely one of the Williams Firesights. For those that just want a simple extremely rugged sight that greatly improves accuracy the Skinner Peep sight is a a great option which is easily added for around $48.

FINAL THOUGHTSAfter testing both options I decided on keeping the Skinner sight with the stock front sight. The NECG is a wonderful sight, however I wanted to assure I always had permanently attached iron sights and the elegantly simple and durable Skinner sights provide everything I want on my 77/357 survival rifle. I fell in love with the tall Williams Fire Sight used to test the NECG and will definitely be upgrading my stock sight height to a Williams fire sight but to one size taller for more adjustability. The Bushnell Banner scope will be retained and utilized for those longer or more precise engagements outside of the comfort zone of my “old eyes”. The peep sights decreased my typical groups by as much as 50% and the scope allowed me to really squeeze every last drop of accuracy from my 77/357. These are easy simple sight upgrades which will definitely provide you with a better shooting 77/357, 77/44, or 77/22.SOURCESRuger - http://www.ruger.com/Bushnell - http://www.bushnell.com/NECG - http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/WIlliams Sights - http://www.williamsgunsight.com/Skinner SIghts - http://skinnersights.com/

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

There is a odd sound in the middle of the night that wakes you up from a deep sleep. You lay there with you eyes open listening, hoping, and praying it was not what you thought. Maybe you can wish it away... maybe it was just the wind. Then you hear it again.. the sound of someone trying doors or the inevitable breaking of glass that sends shivers down your spine. The adrenaline spike that follows throws you from the bed with gun and tac light in hand. Tonight is the night you may have to defend and protect your family.

We all pray to God an occupied break in will never happen, however violent crimes and forced home entry are not going away any time soon with the state of the economy and this is where arming yourself and considering simple body armor such as the US Pal Defender may save your life.

Unfortunately this was the exact scenario several years ago when some criminal attempted to break into the Villa de Pandemic and my wife and I had to go exploring. As the deviant attempting entering through a door and had my stainless 357 pressed to his forehead he rightly ran for his freaking life to freedom. Good day for the idiot and less paperwork for me, however one statement did cross my lips twice as the wife and I cleared rooms and floors... I wish I had body armor because they could have a gun too.

Unfortunately depending on the police and atypical response times to come to your rescue and defend you is a fools belief. I think the world of my friends in blue however, police typically can only report on what happened and generally never have the chance to intervene. Noting that typical 20 minute response times where I live is about how long it takes for the average rape or bleed to death. Most violent crimes only occur in under 10 minutes. Believe me, I would love to have a couple heavily armored and armed cops between me and the bad dudes, but the reality is in all but the most rare situations you are on your own. Sometimes this means clearing room by room to gather family into one safe defensible location until police can arrive.

You may have trained with your gun or even attended special training such as the Mako Defense training to prepare you mentally, tactically, and physically. You may a three gun champion shooter and even be extraordinarily equipped from a firearms perspective, however one lucky asshole's bullet could still cost you critical moments to save a loved one or could cost you your life. US Palm Defender body armor could change those odds drastically for you as a professional or home owner.

AFFORDABLE BODY ARMORFortunately for the non-professional, body armor has come down in price under $1000 for most full-coverage duty level professional grade vests and is legal for civilian purchase in most "free" US States. As most people are just warming up to the idea of owning a gun for protection, they are not going to take the next step and drop $1000 on body armor. US Palm saw this gap and has made owning .44 magnum stopping power IIIA rated personal defense body armor affordable for almost anyone with a new line of $200 retail body armor called "The Defender".FIT, FEEL, FEATURES, & FUNCTIONSFIT & FEELThis is not a full coverage vest like you see police or military wearing, but rather a tactical feature loaded carrier for the included 10”x13” soft body armor plate designed to provide vital organ or more commonly called “kill zone” coverage. This is not a new idea or size at all and 10”x12.5” soft plates are a standard body armor plate size. US Palm Defender is compatible with any of those other aftermarket plates as well. Vitals coverage body armor goes on the idea that anything shots you take outside that 10"x13" coverage aside from a head shot, you will likely survive. It would be nice to answer an intruder's entry will full on Army of 2 level battle armor complete with the cool looking mask, however that heavy armor does also have its limitations and the US Palm Defender Body Armor keeps things light, simple, maneuverable and inexpensive. I call it common sense body armor for the masses all packed into a usable package. The US Palm Defender body armor goes on quick and easy and it made from high quality mil-spec materials that are both comfortable and durable. With all the pockets on the US Palm Defender you can pack on and carry some significant weight in the form of ammo and other accessories so US Palm has assured the shoulder straps are nicely padded to counteract the weight and complete adjustable for excellent long-term comfort to the user. The US Pal Defender can fit from the smaller to the largest frames via simple velcro adjustments in the front, rear, and on the shoulders. Once the initial fitting is complete, removing one velcro strap provides a simple and quick methods to slip the US Palm Defender on and off as the need may arise.

FEATURESThe Defender version I purchased was US Palm's new Defender in .308 pouched format for review which features a replaceable standard 10”x12.5” flexible body armor plate certified to IIIA protection which can be placed in the either the front or rear plate pouches on the vest. The US Palm Defender is also available with an optional $100 rear plate for full front/back coverage, however the single plated $200 package is perfect for forward facing home defense use. Although priced and marketed to the home and the professional user who typically are not issued body armor, the US Palm Defender is priced affordability at $200 for the large 10”x12.5” plated version and $250 for the XL 11”x13.5” plated version. At $250 and $200 the US Palm Defender is a great option for any professional security detail personnel's budget. As noted you can slip in an optional rear body US Palm Defender armor plate as well or even add any aftermarket 10x13 standard hard ceramic 7.62 rated impact plates if you are one of those working professionally free-lance types... It's truly a versatile rig.

Of course US Palm knows that when you rocket out of bed pumped with adrenaline it would be easier take a 1/2 second to slip on a body armor vest that has your gun, ammo and accessories such as tac light all in on attack rack package. Whether you are male or female, a home owner or professional in harms way, slip on the US Palm Defender and you are ready to address a situation well protected.

The US Palm Defender is available in two sizes and several front pocketed formats including handgun, AK magazine format and from my perspective the extremely versatile .308 and handgun magazine pocketed version. The .308 Defender has three large front main rifle magazine pockets which can hold one .308 magazine each, two 5.56/7.62 magazines each, or as pictured a wide variety of large and small handguns such as my Glock 19 shown. There are also three secondary pockets for three handgun magazines, mace, or your tactical light, so technically this rig could hold around 230 rounds (30x6 + 17x3) of rifle and handgun ammo at the ready conveniently on your body armor. On the back there are more pockets big enough for more magazines, hydration systems for other supplies. Think of the US Palm Defender as a mini armored attack rack. Other features include a velro ID patch area, seams being bar tacked to handle extra abuse and the pockets are all grommeted for draining.

FUNCTIONI found the US Palm Defender very quick to slip on and off and convenient for the occasional “what was that noise?” exercise in the middle of the night. Magazines and accessories were easily and securely accessible. After checking with US Palm they do not have a free replacement program for the plates so I did not test the company’s claims of bullet stopping power even though Mrs Pandemic was pretty insistent on shooting me. US Palm has published plenty of documented testing on their site and via other television features and is a very reputable defense contractor so I will trust their certification. In case you didn’t know US Palm is one of the very highly regarded companies who have been upgrading and outfitting our troops and private security firms AK-47 rifles with new and updated features and providing a variety of products such as their larger full featured attack racks.Body armour works by dissipating the bullet’s energy over a wider area and reducing the shock by slowing the bullet quickly enough that penetration does not happen but slow enough that energy is dispersed over a longer period of time. Body armor is not a steel plate. If it was, the rest of your head and body would be fragged with shrapnel each time your body armor “deflected” a bullet. Instead modern body armor captures the bullet to prevent fragging. Only the highest rated and heaviest military body armor will drastically decrease felt impact. If you are shot with body armor on it will hurt like a mother f**ker and bruise like you have been beat with a baseball bat but it is unlikely you will die. Body armor is reated in a number protection levels and IIIA is a 44 Magnum rating. Higher rating body armor can provide stopping power for up to typicla rifle rounds. FINAL THOUGHTSA number of years ago, a company developed a lighter rated body armor package that was deployed from a belt bag, this is definitely a big step up from that option into professional grade body armor. There are a variety of reasons to own body armor outside of defensive use and one big reason is training. If you train in a shoot house or if you are training on steel targets at relatively close range it would be a good idea to wear body armor not to mention the Defender is a handy ammo carrier. I was actually shot twice in the chest buy a fellow shooters double tap ricochet at an indoor range and although neither bullet penetrated, I ended up with a fracture and two really serious 12” bruises that required months of treatment... the US Palm Defender body armor would have been welcomed and paid for itself immediately. US Palm offer s number of great flexible configurations and two different sizes will fit up to 60 inch waists and of course all the way down to the most petite female frame. I sincerely hope I never have another attempted break in or home intruder, however where things are headed I doubt that will be the case. In any case I know that owning a gun is not enough, you should invest in training, and regular practice all to assure the safety of your home, family and your life whether you are just a homeowner, a professional, or trainer. The US Palm Defender gives you the extra protection and the next step in defense beyond just owning a gun. Should the unthinkable occur the Defender provides the advantage of minimizing harm to you and others. For $200 the US Palm Defender Body Armor is great insurance that you only need to pay for once. You can bet with your life, but having lived through one incident I am not taking any chances and will be wearing my US Palm Defender body armor each and every time I go investigate odd noises.MANUFACTURER SPECS